Modified sutureless and glue-free method versus conventional sutures for conjunctival autograft fixation in primary pterygium surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pterygium is a common ocular surface disorder that requires surgical intervention for treatment. Conjunctival autografts are preferred over simple excision due to lower recurrence rates. This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the modified sutureless glue-free (MSGF) method with conventional sutures (CS) for conjunctival autograft fixation in primary pterygium surgery. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, Google Scholar and ClinicalTrials.gov for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing MSGF and CS conjunctival autografts. Outcome measures included operation time, recurrence and postoperative complications. Standardised mean difference (SMD) and risk ratio (RR) were used for continuous and dichotomous outcomes, respectively. RESULTS: 11 RCTs involving 833 participants were included. The analysis revealed that MSGF had a significantly shorter operation time compared with CS (SMD -3.704, 95% CI -5.122 to -2.287, p<0.001). CS was associated with a higher risk of foreign body sensation (RR 0.22, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.74, p=0.01). MSGF was associated with a higher risk of graft dehiscence (RR 9.01, 95% CI 2.74 to 29.68, p=0.000) and graft retraction (RR 2.37, 95% CI 1.17 to 4.77, p=0.02). No significant differences were found in recurrence, graft haemorrhage, granuloma, Dellen and conjunctival oedema. CONCLUSION: Using the MSGF technique in conjunctival autograft fixation for pterygium surgery reduces operation time by relying solely on the patient's blood for fixation. However, it increases the risk of graft dehiscence and retraction. However, CS is linked to a higher likelihood of experiencing foreign body sensations. Understanding the learning curve and surgeon familiarity with novel techniques is crucial for optimising patient care and surgical outcomes, while individualised decision-making is necessary considering the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Further research is warranted to minimise complications and optimise surgical outcomes.

A Novel Technique Using Paretic Superior Rectus as a Globe Suspender for Monocular Elevation Deficiency.

Surgical innovations in strabismus provide opportunities to improve visual function, eye alignment, and cosmesis in rare pediatric ophthalmological conditions. Monocular elevation deficiency is a rare and multifactorial disease in which the affected eye is equally limited in terms of elevation during adduction and abduction. We aimed to present a novel procedure for the treatment of acquired monocular elevation deficiency using the paretic superior rectus muscle as a globe suspender to resolve hypotropia. We report the case of an eight-year-old girl with left eyelid ptosis and hypotropia two months after draining a left orbital abscess. Left inferior rectus muscle recession was performed at five years, with residual left hypotropia. Ophthalmological examination revealed a best-corrected visual acuity of 20/20 OD and 20/100 OS. Severe left eyelid ptosis and poor levator function were also observed. Extraocular motility showed left hypotropia of 40 prism diopters with the left superior rectus muscle under action (-4) in the adduction and abduction positions. A force duction test negative for restrictions on the inferior rectus muscle was performed intraoperatively. To reduce the risks of the Knapp procedure, the left superior rectus muscle was split into medial and temporal halves. Double-armed sutures were secured in half, and the halves were detached from the sclera. The medial and temporal halves were reattached anteriorly to the medial and lateral rectus insertions, respectively. Eight weeks after surgery, the patient had nine prism diopters of hypotropia in the primary gaze. Ten weeks after surgery, there was no change in visual acuity. In the cover test, the patient exhibited residual left hypotropia of nine prism diopters with a restriction (-4) of elevation in adduction and abduction. The parents were pleased with the satisfactory cosmetic outcomes, and postoperative clinical photographs of the patient showed improved hypotropia and persistent minimal elevation of the left eye during adduction and abduction. Superior rectus muscle splitting and vertical transposition to the medial and lateral rectus could be safer and simpler alternatives to the Knapp procedure and may offer a lower risk of anterior segment ischemia. Further studies are required to confirm these findings.

Non-invasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasm with Papillary-Like Nuclear Features (NIFTP) Lowers the Risk of Malignancy in the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology Diagnostic Categories.

Background: The introduction of non-invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) has been shown to decrease the risk of malignancy (ROM) in The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology. This knowledge may alter the management of patients with thyroid nodules. Objectives: To correlate cytological diagnosis with histological diagnosis for establishing the ROM of all Bethesda system categories after the introduction of NIFTP. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. All consecutive fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) specimens collected from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2017, at King Abdullah Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were assessed, and patients who underwent surgical excision of thyroid nodules were further analyzed. The ROM and overall ROM for each Bethesda category were calculated with and without considering NIFTP as a malignant tumor. Results: Overall, 1066 FNAC specimens were collected, of which 281 had a surgical correlation. Our cases included 18 (6.4%) non-diagnostic (ND), 109 (38.8%) benign, 28 (9.9%) atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS), 39 (13.8%) follicular neoplasm or suspicion for follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN), 20 (7.1%) suspicion for malignancy (SM), and 67 (23.8%) malignant (POM) cases. After considering NIFTP diagnosis on resection specimens, the ROM decreased as follows: ND, 38.8% to 27.7% (P = 0.2388); benign, 21.1% to 11.9% (P = 0.0343); AUS/FLUS, 50% to 39.2% (P = 0.2089); FN/SFN, 53.8% to 33.3% (P = 0.0336); SM, 85% to 75% (P = 0.2147); POM, 95.5% to 88% (P = 0.0582). Conclusion: The introduction of NIFTP would significantly decrease the ROM of thyroid FNAC in both benign and FN/SFN categories of the Bethesda system.

The effect of blood pressure variability on the prognosis of hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aims to compare the effects of blood pressure variability (BPV) during ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM) and visit-to-visit measurements to predict future cardiovascular complications among hypertensive patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective case-control study of patients with hypertension over 10 years. All adult patients with at least one recorded ABPM, and at least three recorded visit measurements were included. Patients with incomplete ABPM readings, a history of a tested outcome, or the occurrence of any of the tested outcomes within the measurement period were excluded. The outcome was the development of any of the following: acute coronary syndrome (ACS), chronic ischemic heart disease (IHD), heart failure (HF), or stroke. RESULTS: Of the 305 cases reviewed, 152 were included. The mean follow-up was 6.6±2.3 years. The mean age was 53.5±14.3 years. Eighty-two (53.9%) patients were male, while 70 (46.1%) were female. Risk factors included diabetes mellitus (53.9%), dyslipidemia (39.5%), obesity (16.4%), and smoking (8.6%). Comorbidities included stroke (2%), ACS (8.6%), IHD (20.4%), HF (2.6%), and renal failure (1.3%). One or more complications were seen in 22.4 % of the included patients. The variation of the daytime systolic ABP had been found to predict the future risk of developing IHD (OR=1.94; 95% CI=1.09-3.45; p=0.025). Moreover, IHD was associated with night-time systolic standard deviation (SD) in ABPM (OR=1.23; 95% CI=1.00-1.51; p=0.048). On the other side, ACS was found to be associated with systolic SD in visit-to-visit measurement (OR=1.10; 95% CI=1.01-1.21; p=0.04). CONCLUSION: Hypertensive patients with high variability of daytime and night-time SD in ABPM are more likely to have IHD. Whereas, having high variability in systolic SD in visit-to-visit measurements is associated with developing ACS.

Biliary atresia with an unusual abdominal orientation: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare condition where the hepatic or common bile ducts get obliterated by fibrous tissue for unknown causes. It is diagnosed in 5-10 per 100,000 live births worldwide in whom liver injury and death are definite if untreated. PRESENTATION: We report a case of BA with associated malrotation and situs ambiguous discovered incidentally during Kasai procedure. The small intestine was found to be malrotated with the duodenojejunal junction to the right of the vertebral column. The liver, stomach, and spleen were in the center, right side, and left side of the abdomen respectively. The malrotation was corrected by performing a Ladd's procedure in addition to the Kasai. She had an uneventful postoperative course. At follow-up on the second, sixth and 12th weeks postoperatively, she had normal stool color and liver function. DISCUSSION: BA patients with associated structural anomalies might have a worse outcome after the Kasai procedure. Several studies demonstrated that the coexistence of malrotation with BA to be in the range of 0.3%-9.4% among BA patients. Also, the presence of situs abnormalities with BA has been reported in some studies to be present in 0.01-0.045% of BA cases. However, the presentation of BA with both situs inversus and intestinal malrotation has seldom been reported. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of BA should prompt further investigation for other anatomical abnormalities as the presence of which might affect the management plan.